Orlando Collision Between Car and Train Sends One to Hospital

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 7, 2019

An incident that took place in Orlando on Thursday, January 3rd, resulted in the hospitalization of one individual after their car was struck by a train traveling along a track owned and operated by the Florida Central Railroad. Reports from numerous agencies involved with the incident have emerged in the days following the crash, but a certain amount of confusion remains and the investigations into the incident are ongoing.

It was sometime during the night when a reporter with News 6 as well as a photographer were traveling close to a section of North Orange Blossom Trail that crosses the train tracks belonging to Florida Central Railroad. Looking out the windows of the car, they were surprised when they saw a sedan turning to drive across the train tracks and onto North Orange Blossom Trail. At this same time, a slow moving train was traveling alone tracks.

The area of this intersection between roadway and train tracks does not possess any sort of barrier or gate that descends when a train is passing through the area. There are railroad crossing signs that stand near to the roadway, but because this part of OBT intersects with a driveway that goes directly to a cluster of self-storage buildings there is not the same amount of warning and safety equipment in place that would exist if this were a major roadway crossing the tracks.

It is not clear if the driver in the car was aware of the presence of the large vehicle trundling down the tracks, but quickly the train and the car were locked into a direct collision course with one another.

Witnesses stated that the collision between the car, despite its slowness, was forceful and resulted in all of the airbags deploying in the car. The rear window of the car also exploded. Rushing to the car, numerous people stated that music from within the vehicle was blaring from the speakers, perhaps leading to a state of distraction in the driver of the car.

Members of the Orlando Fire Department reached the area shortly afterward and transported the person from the car to a nearby hospital. It is believed that they suffered from minor injuries, although that has yet to be confirmed by an official update to the story.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.